10/02/2014 - Permalink

Shropshire’s manufacturing businesses invited to special breakfast event on Wednesday 12 February

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Manufacturing businesses from across Shropshire are being invited to a special breakfast event near Shrewsbury on Wednesday 12 February, at which they can find out how to access a range of financial incentives and support.  

The event is being held at Albrighton Hall Hotel near Shrewsbury from 7.30am to 10am. 

Information will be available about the Business Enterprise Fund which was launched in Shropshire and Herefordshire in October 2011, and extended to include Staffordshire and Telford and Wrekin from September 2013.  A total of £590,000 is still available for businesses to bid for by December 2014. 

Businesses can also find out about Business Investment Funds, which offers loans for companies: to date 15 companies have benefited, with almost £300,000 paid out in loans. 

The event will also include speakers from: 

  • the Manufacturing Advisory Service, talking about funding and help with lean manufacturing 
  • UKTI, covering financial help to export 
  • Growth Accelerator, who will talk about helping businesses with coaching and leadership and management 
  • Green Bridge, who will cover helping businesses to invest in a more sustainable way, with grants of up to £1m available. 

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for business growth, said:

“This event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for Shropshire’s manufacturing companies to find out about some of the support and funding available to help them grow and develop their businesses.” 

To date, Business Enterprise Fund funding has been invested in scanners, welding machinery, CNC machines and other large scale equipment, paint booths, turning machines and measure tools, and energy efficiency measures such as improved lighting and energy monitoring systems. 

Amongst the Shropshire firms to have benefited from the Fund are: 

  • All Pump Solutions from Shrewsbury, who adapted their building to create a larger opening.  This has allowed them to take on work that previously was too large to fit into/out of the building and created two jobs
  • Oakedge Windows  from Shrewsbury used the funding to purchase a wood turning machine, creating one job
  • Globestock Engineering from Oswestry purchased a CNC machine and created one job
  • Orchard Valley from Ludlow purchased large scale equipment, host and bag fillers.  The company have created eight jobs as a result. 

For more information about the event on 12 February, and to book a place, visit www.shropshiremanufacturingevent.eventbrite.co.uk.